Philadelphia, PA, October 14, 2016 – The “Happiness” team will be hitting the streets of Philadelphia at 7 am on October 19th, handing out thousands of flowers to busy commuters to help brighten up their week, as part of the ‘Petal it Forward’ program, in partnership with the Society of American Florists (SAF), of which Plaza Flowers is a member. This second annual ‘Petal It Forward’ event highlights scientific data by SAF showing the positive emotional benefits of flowers.

University research reveals that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. A survey has found that, when it comes to flowers, it’s just as good to give as it is to receive. With this data in mind, the Petal It Forward team is not only spreading happiness to lucky Philly residents who receive the flowers, but arming these recipients with the tools they need to Petal it Forward and spread happiness to others: An extra flower bouquet to share with a loved one, coworker or even a stranger.

“Last year we handed out over 500 bouquets and the reactions were amazing! This year we will exceed that number by 50%” said Chris Drummond of Plaza Flowers. “They were happy to receive flowers, but even more excited to give a bouquet to someone else.”

When it comes to happiness, it’s just as good to give flowers as it is to receive: 88 percent of Americans report that giving flowers makes them feel happy, while 80 percent reported that receiving flowers makes them feel happy.

Just being around flowers improves your mood: 76 percent of Americans agree that having flowers in their home or office improves their mood.

The best reason to receive flowers is “just because”: Women (92 percent) are more likely to agree with this, but the majority of men (three in four) also share this sentiment.

Florists to the rescue! Nearly four in 10 Americans indicate florists have helped them in a past or current relationship; most frequently to say “I love you,” or schedule a surprise delivery.

“The impact of giving or receiving flowers is powerful and memorable,” said Drummond. “It can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.” During the morning rush hour, the Petal It Forward Team from Plaza Flowers will give away bouquets to people on the street near Dilworth Park and at their flagship store at the intersection of Egypt & Trooper Roads. After receiving their flowers, recipients are asked to spread the happiness by gifting their extra flower bouquet, and sharing their happiness on social media using #petalitforward.

For more information on the benefits of flowers, visit www.aboutflowers.com and www.aboutflowersblog.com.

###

About Plaza Flowers:
For over 30 years, Plaza Flowers has been delivering happiness throughout Philadelphia and suburbs. Award-winning designers use farm-direct fresh flowers and lush tropical plants to create colorful and fragrant gifts and décor for all occasions. From the design studio in Norristown, nearly 50,000 deliveries are made annually by their “happiness ambassadors” (drivers). Customers typically shop online at pflorist.com and order by phone at 610.630.8825.

About the Society of American Florists:
The Society of American Florists is the national trade association to the floral industry, representing growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, importers, educators, designers and allied organizations. The association was chartered by an act of Congress in 1884.

About the Society of American Florists’ Survey:
The omnibus survey was conducted using the field services of TNS from March 5-9, 2015 among a representative sample of 2,500 Americans, ages 18 and older. The margin of error for total Americans is plus or minus 1.9 percent. If the study was to be replicated, findings would not vary by more than 1.9 percentage points in either direction 95 times out of 100.

Although June has passed and National Rose Month is behind us, many of our customers arrive home from the nursery with a wide variety of potted roses. Others may have ordered bare root roses online or through mail order. But whatever the case may be, a question we always receive is “What steps can I take to ensure that my plant will bloom the most beautifully?”

The prospect of growing roses may seem intimidating, and many of you have heard the horror stories of roses having problems with insects, diseases, and other issues. However, Clair G. Martin, author of the book “100 English Roses for the American Garden” states that “While problems do exist, they are, for the most part, cosmetic and easily overcome with basic horticultural practices”.

Below we’ll give you step by step instructions to planting your roses in order to fortify your knowledge of growing these truly one-of-a-kind plants, and hopefully answer any questions you may have.

Soak the roots and stems. Dry root roses should be submerged for 24 hours to hydrate the tissue of the roots and stems. Potted roses (pot and woody trunk) should be submerged for two hours. Remember, roses love water and plenty of it at the time of planting will greatly strengthen the plant.

Prune dead wood and damaged stems. Cut out any damaged or dead portion of each plant with sharp pruning shears. Always cut on an angle. This is not the time to perform selective pruning to force blooms. That will be done next spring.

Prepare the hole for planting. For potted roses, cut the entire bottom from the biodegradable container and dig a hole that is three inches wider and deeper than the pot. Prepare a mixtureof rose garden soil of either 50% soil & 50% bone meal, or one part potting soil, one part compost, one part bagged manure. Place three inches of the mixture in the bottom of the hole. Place the pot in the hole. Backfill with soil mixture you created. For dry root roses, dig a hole that is twice the distance across the roots. The depth of the hole should be three inches greater than the distance from the bud union to bottom of roots. Place three inches of the soil mixture in the bottom of the hole. Hold the plant in the hole and backfill with the remainder of the mixture. Whether you roots were dry or potted, your soil line should be one inch higher the bud union.

The Philadelphia Rose Society states that “The most important thing roses need is water”. Create a shallow moat near the perimeter of your hole and fill it with water. Allow the water to seep, then repeat three times. At this point, you cannot overwater your rose.

You will notice that much of your soil mixture has settled and likely exposed your bud union. Replenish with the soil mixture if settlement was two inches or more. Cover the soil with three to four inches of mulch, mounding at the perimeter of the plant to create a moat so less water runs away from the plant.

Fill your moat with water daily. After the roots are established (about three weeks) you can move your watering schedule to three times a week. Water daily during hot days or periods of drought in the growing season.

Living rose plants work well in mixed plant baskets, and many other beautiful arrangements you could create at home by planting your own rose bushes. For more information on planting and caring for roses, feel free to reach out to us online! You may also wish to visit the American Rose Society for an in-depth look at things like winter care, common pests for roses, and much more to give you the best growing experience possible! These beautiful flowers are as iconic as they are beautiful, and growing them is truly a joy.

Norristown, PA – May 28, 2015 – Today marks the beginning of an exciting merge of two local florists in Norristown; Plaza Flowers on Egypt Road and Anna Catanese Flower Shop on DeKalb Street. Both shops have endured for generations, giving customers high-quality products for decades, but only Anna Catanese Flower Shop enters their hundredth year as the oldest florist in Norristown, Montgomery County. Both shops plan to bring their valuable wisdom and loyal clientele together to forge a bond that will propel them forward for generations to come.

Chris Drummond & Heather Tuckey, Owners of Plaza Flowers

In order to understand how a business becomes ingrained so deeply into the heritage of a community, we must first investigate the origin of this proud business and the individuals who began it.

First florist at 321 DeKalb, only 9 feet wide!

Domenic Catanese immigrated to the U.S. in 1888. Shortly thereafter, he began growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers on his eleven-acre farm on Tremont Street in Norristown. Around 1900, he opened 20th Century Florist and Seed at 321 DeKalb Street to sell his produce and seeds. Flower sales were slow at first but grew quickly, leading to the addition floral design and delivery services around 1910. In 1915, Domenic’s daughter-in-law & floral designer, Anna, purchased the store with a $3500 loan from neighboring businesswomen. She then employed three of her family to help make the Flower Shop a success. Read more →